Bob’s activity in the marine industry spans over 25 years and  includes commercial diving, Atmospheric Diving Suits (ADS) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) operations. Operational and management pursuits have resulted in international projects over the years, including winters in Finland, summers in the tropics and ROV operations in the Andes mountains.

Bob is presently a Senior Operations Manager with the Marines Services Division of ASI Group Ltd., St. Catharines, Ontario, and is primarily responsible for their ROV and sonar inspection services. Specializing in long tunnel and pipeline inspections, ASI has customized their vehicles with the longest tethers of any comparable vehicle, and includes the ASI MANTARO that operates with a 10 km umbilical, the longest such system in the world.

Technology Finds History in the Great Lakes

During this past summer’s Hamilton & Scourge Shipwreck Site Condition Survey 2008, ASI supported the ROV inspection of the Hamilton and Scourge, two vessels from the War of 1812, which now lie at the bottom of Lake Ontario.

With a  long history of public interest, these vessels were visited once again this summer, culminating years of planning with the present caretakers, the City of Hamilton, and in partnership with the Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeological Service. With support from several  government services, this summer’s inspection employed improved and unique technologies to gather data for the City to consider in the development of their management plan for these historically unique vessels.

Bob’s presentation will include an overview of the equipment and technology used, from the first discovery to the present survey.

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